Divorce can be hard on families, especially for those with young children. As tensions are running high, it can be easy to lose sight of what else might be happening and whose feelings may be affected in the process. Two Adventures with Mom and Dad is a book that, while written for a young elementary school-aged audience, will speak to adults just as much as children. Messages about love and connection are depicted throughout the story, and these help all readers understand that families do not always have to live together to have a strong bond. This is an especially helpful story for families who have decided to separate to encourage positive interconnection in this challenging time. Please see my full review below!
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No family is perfect, and each one has its own unique appearance and functionality. A young girl has a mom and a dad who have decided not to live with each other anymore. While this choice can lead to feelings of sadness, the family in this particular situation is making a point to remain on good terms and support one another in an ongoing capacity. With two bedrooms and twice the opportunity for fun and connection, the girl in this book does her best to understand her parents’ decision while becoming confident that their love for her will remain steady no matter what happens. Children whose parents have chosen to separate are managing emotions that, while common, are not often depicted in picture books, which makes this one particularly noteworthy. This story attempts to present divorce in a positive light, reinforcing the message that a parent’s love for their child remains consistent even when the relationship with the other parent has changed. While this may not be the case for every family, reading this book together can help remind parents of ways to manage their separation constructively in order to mitigate its effects on their children. The story itself is presented in loosely rhyming couplets that are designed to be read as a parent speaking to their child. Straightforward phrases are paired with expressive illustrations to ensure that readers of all ages will easily grasp the message this story imparts, especially from an emotional perspective. This is a book that is particularly helpful for separated parents and their children to read together in order to help everyone involved come to terms with their new reality. Written by a prominent family law attorney, this story incorporates much of what she has witnessed first-hand, and it is a useful companion to anyone working in a similar field as well as families navigating divorce themselves.
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